


Happy Birthday, Basil!

by after9yearsindevelopment



Category: OMORI (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Birthday, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, One Shot, Post-Canon, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:36:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29569017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/after9yearsindevelopment/pseuds/after9yearsindevelopment
Summary: "What's wrong Basil? You don't seem to be in the cheeriest mood."A one-shot about Basil's 17th birthday.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 56





	Happy Birthday, Basil!

**Author's Note:**

> scuffed writing here and there but enjoy the story :) i'll fix it later if im not lazy

It was February 18th. Basil woke up with a grimace on his face. While his birthday was usually a good day for both him and his friends, there was one thing missing this year. His friends.

He went downstairs in a new pair of clothes as Polly was in the kitchen preparing for his birthday. The scent of cake had filled Basil’s nostrils, yet a smell couldn’t help him cope with what had happened. He was still alone.

The flowers were sitting there in full bloom near the windowsill. Basil sat near them, quietly staring as the noises from the kitchen were tuned out. Each flower was a different one, representing a different person. He wished that these flowers could do something, the flowers only use acting as a reminder for the days long behind him.

He began looking at the lily of the valley. Mari. They always seemed to calm Basil down when he was near one. The accident still played in his mind, it being clear as water. Sunny’s violin at the bottom of the stairs. Mari tumbling down the stairs as Sunny’s face turned pale. The loud silence after Mari fell onto the violin. The staging of her suicide. Basil tried to forget about it and move on, yet the guilt still stood, unmoving. 

The white tulips. Plain, bulbous, but perfect. Just like Sunny. Basil began to remember that day. It was 3 days after Sunny had finally come out of his house after 4 years. He tried to enjoy his time, yet he knew it was fleeting. His memory was fuzzy after Sunny had entered the bathroom, yet he remembered one thing. Watching Sunny plummet from his hospital bed as Aubrey, Hero, and Kel were none the wiser. The news only broke out after they went to go buy ice cream for him. Basil never saw the body, yet the emotions on their faces told the whole story. He could see a blood stain on the concrete after he was discharged from the hospital.

A gladiolus. They represent the strength of someone’s character. Just like Aubrey. Basil remembered the day that Aubrey had been taken. He had been on good terms with Aubrey for a few months by now, when he noticed the hooligans standing outside her house. They looked worried.

_“Hey, what seems to be happening?” Basil nervously asked, beginning to hear what they were here for._

_“There’s something going on there, I can’t tell what though.” Mikhael pointed towards the house as Basil inched closer. It sounded like an argument, as Basil had been in a lot of them before. Although, they didn’t hear it between two old people. It sounded like… Aubrey._

_All of them were surprised when the police arrived. Two of them broke down the door as the rest began herding the Hooligans and Basil away from the house._

_“Huh? What’s happening?” Kim asked, beginning to look worried. While they were a “gang”, they had never encountered the cops before. The most they ever did was steal some candy from Miss Candice, and even then that was small. Nothing had escalated this far before._

_“We got an anonymous report from someone here, they said they had heard crying regularly from the inside. I don’t think you should be here to watch this.” the police officer said, shooing them away towards the park._

_“Ok, police-man. We’ll be going now.” Vance stated, beginning to walk away from Aubrey’s home. Along with him was Charlie and Angel, while Mikhael and Kim decided to hide and watch, along with Basil._

_“What do you think is going to happen-” Mikhael tried to speak, yet was cut off by Kim._

_“Shut up! They’re gonna hear us and ask what we’re doing!” they quietly said. They began peering over the brick wall that contained a few plants as the events continued._

_They saw Aubrey walking out of the house in tears as her mother followed, in handcuffs. “I can’t believe she was right!” Mikhael said quietly. “She really DOES look like that pillow Aubrey brings over sometimes!”_ _  
__  
_ _Basil was in disbelief as another car showed up, displaying the letters “CPS” on it. Kim and Mikhael kept watching, also confused._

_“Get in the car, Sarah. You’re under arrest.” A struggle began to happen as they were fought into the cop car, the door slamming shut as the lock clicked. The three looked back at Aubrey, being comforted by a female police officer._

_“Don’t worry, it’ll be ok. I promise you that.” they said as Aubrey kept sulking. Tears littered the ground below her like it was in a rainstorm._

_“Hey! Who’s that? WE’RE supposed to be the ones comforting her.” Kim said under her breath. Mikhael and Basil began to look concerned. If it wasn’t telling enough, the multiple bruises on her told the story. Aubrey was escorted to the car with “CPS” on it, whatever that meant as they began driving away._

_“Where are they going?” Mikhael asked, climbing out of the small dirty hole they were watching from._

_“Yeah, we should go see where they are going to. I don’t want Aubrey to be in danger.” Kim said, also climbing out, followed by Basil. They began running towards the car as they called for Aubrey. They could never outrun a car, as it disappeared into the interstate._

_Basil, Kim, Mikhael, and the rest of the hooligans never saw Aubrey again after that. Basil often passed Aubrey’s old house while on a walk as it began to collect dust. A sign that had the house up for auction was planted in the yard, but remained untouched for days._

_He saw the Hooligans doing what they usually did, yet they seemed… empty. Without someone to guide them, they were doing menial things around the neighborhood for no good reason. Sometimes they would be sitting in the park, talking about something. Basil didn’t know what they were chatting about, but it couldn’t have been good._

Wherever Aubrey was, Basil could only hope that she was safe.

He looked at the cactus and the rose. One exuded versatility and universal love, the other represented Kel. Basil made a joke about how even Kel could take care of a cactus, which was funny for the time being. He remembered the last conversation he had with Hero.

_“Basil? Are you ok?” Hero asked, shuffling over to him on the bench._

_“O-oh, it’s nothing. I’m doing fine.” he responded, nervously tapping his feet on the dirt. He had heard the news from Kel, just like how he heard the news of Sunny moving away._

_“Listen. I know it’s hard for you to cope with this. Especially since…. I’d rather not talk about it again.” Hero began to cry as he continued. “I just wanted to say.. stay strong for me and Kel, ok? I know Sunny would’ve wanted that. We may be moving away soon, but you can manage, right?” Hero was surprised when Basil began hugging Hero tighter than a snake, tears staining the bench._

_“Y-yes, but I don’t think I can. It already happened with Sunny, I don’t want to lose the last friend I have left!”_

_“Basil, you know I’ll still be your friend, right? I may be far away soon, but we don’t just stop being friends instantly! I have your number, I can always call you.”_ _  
__  
_ _“What if you never answer?”_

_“You think I would abandon you?” Hero chuckled. “I would never abandon you, Basil. If you need someone to stick with you, i’ll try my hardest to be that person.”_

_Basil began to smile as his tears slowed down. If what Hero said was true, he could finally have someone he was comfortable with talking to. Basil could talk about his problems, like he talked to Sunny before he… Basil didn’t want to remember._

  
  
  
  
It had been 5 months. Radio silence from Kel and Hero had been normalized, they had only called once and that was the day after they had moved. Deep down, Basil still hoped that Hero and Kel hadn’t abandoned him. Maybe they were just busy. However, that hope was shortened day by day.

“Basil! Your cake is ready!” Polly said, preparing the table. Basil stopped looking at the flowers and took a seat at the table. 3 party hats sat idly near 3 chairs, the only sounds being Polly and silverware clanking against one another.

He silently sat down at his seat and began to stare at the tablecloth. Even when the cake was finally ready and placed in front of Basil, he still had barely any emotion on his face except sadness.

“I’m sorry this party wasn’t what you had expected, Basil. I tried contacting Hero and Kel, yet there was no response.” Polly began holding onto Basil’s shoulder as they began looking at him. Polly wanted so hard for Basil to be happy, yet it felt like her efforts were in vain. She could only stare as minutes began to pass.

Basil remembered his 12th birthday. Mari, Sunny, Kel, Hero, and Aubrey were all there to celebrate. Kel was being himself as usual, sticking two party hats onto his eyes and chasing Aubrey. He got pushed around a lot, yet Basil loved his goofiness. Mari was standing near Basil, so happy that he was still enjoying himself. She would always check in with everyone to make sure they were happy. Hero and Aubrey were also being themselves, Aubrey roughhousing around with Kel in the main room as Hero tried to help Polly cook. It was a failed attempt, yet everyone got some joy from it. And Sunny was there, sitting right near Basil. He was his best friend, and even if he was mute, Sunny still cared. A lot. 

He went back to reality. Sunny and Mari were dead. Aubrey was taken away by “CPS”, whatever that was to never be seen again. Kel and Hero were radio silent after moving away. Basil yearned for someone, ANYONE other than Polly to celebrate with him, yet his wishes weren’t fulfilled. Wishes were a scam, anyways.

  
A phone began to ring from the other room. “I’m sorry Basil, but I have to take this. Please enjoy yourself, ok? I don’t want you to be sad.” Polly left Basil’s shoulders as she went to the other room.

Basil began staring at the cake. The once sweet scent of dough and cocoa transformed into a pungent scent of bad memories. He tried to take a bite, yet couldn’t muster the energy for it. He looked at the empty seats. Hero, Kel, and Aubrey should’ve been there, yet it was only him. The party hats were silly, yet he wanted to go back to his childhood. Basil wanted to go back. Back to before this all happened. When the world made sense.

  
  
  
  
"You're not lonely when I'm around though, right?” a tree-shaped silhouette said from across the table.

“N-No, I'm not.” Basil responded, desperation in his voice.


End file.
